Part 2 Hea"throw"...can't decide if I want to throw up, throw something at someone, or just throw in the towel

I debated with myself about even completing this part of the story. When you are in the middle of something that is unpleasant, no matter how intense in nature, once you are beyond the painful part...it's not alway fun the revisit the memory. Although this may be an extreme example, I liken it to childbirth. Everyone knows it is almost always an uncomfortable situation to experience. However, the outcome far outweighs the painful road we must travel, to eventually arrive at the moment when you hold that baby in your arms for the very first time. Similarly, what we have to endure at times while traveling, can be mentally and physically draining. There is nothing in the world, like the feeling you experience, when reaching your final destination to begin your actual cruise vacation.

So, in quick bullet points I'll try to sum up the remainder of our day, until we arrived safely in Barcelona--here goes nothing (believe me....it was SOMETHING)

--arrive back at Heathrow 2pm for a 6:20 flight
--retrieve carry-on luggage
--take express train from terminal 3 to 4
--check into Yotel at 2:20pm
--quick shower and change check out at 3pm (the most expensive 40E shower we have ever taken, but well worth it)
--take express train back to terminal 3 (yes, you guessed it...train does not go directly from 4 to 5...that would have been too easy)
--take express train to terminal 5 (lots of long hallways and multiple elevators)
--stand in line at British Airways counter only to find out we were in wrong terminal...there a 2 BA terminals, oh please give me a break (she did, however, provide us with boarding passes, being the nice lady that she was)
--back on train to terminal 3 (more hallways...many more elevators)
--locate other BA counter
--find out that gate has yet to be assigned--HUH???
--find out that it may be gate 24!?!
--decide you really need to eat since all you've had all day is tea/scone/olive bread stick and it's now 4pm
--try to locate food in the proper terminal
--struggle through immigration (have I mentioned the lines are slowwwwww)
--grab take-away sushi
--inhale food
--lose euros in numerous vending machines while trying to get bottled water
--travel down the millionth long white hallway back and forth to empty gates
--lose more euros in vending machine trying to get an ice-cream
--finally locate correct empty gate at 5:30...does anyone work here?
--gate NEVER listed on departure board (never understood why so many folks stand around staring up at the boards....looks like spectators at a sporting event and causes major log jams in the foot traffic patterns because all the board are in the middle of a busy walkways
--finally dawns on both of us, no one knows their gate until the last possible minute...all the running actually makes sense!
--gate employees finally show up at 5:45
--find out that we are being bused out to the plane waiting on the tarmac (WTF)
--we are loaded on the bus and squeezed into the aisle...standing room only for us
--lady sitting down during shuttle ride, attempts to step over me to exit bus....I DONT THINK SO! (Rog thought I was going to deck the woman...I thought I was too)
--finally seated on the plane
--neck pillow inflated
--sleeping mask in place
--finally dozing on my way to sleeping (remember, it has been almost 2 days since I've been in bed)
--Stewardess from hell, proceeded to wake me up and insisted I show her my fastened seat belt no less than 3 times in a two hour flight---REALLY???
--arrived in Barcelona 30 minutes early (gotta love those tail winds :)

No pictures where taken during the course of our crazy Laurel-n-Hardy afternoon. Best for everyone...I can assure you they would not have been pleasant. When I am hungry and tired, I ten to get a bit cranky....just ask my husband :)

Please know that NONE of these occurrences have been even the least bit exaggerated. This is not by any stretch of the imagination, only our opinion of this horrendous airport. The very first ship employee Roger spoke to, was himself leaving to return home at the end of our cruise, and dreaded the trip through Heathrow (or as they like to refer to it Hell-throw. He actually apologized for his country's excuse for an airport...enough said.

Next stop, Barcelona.....finally :)